Melissa Barker reviews the luxurious Celtic Manor in South Wales

Celtic Manor in South Wales is a luxurious five-star resort situated in more than 2,000 acres of beautiful parkland.

After a long journey we arrived at the hotel and were wowed by the impressive architecture and beautiful Welsh dragon carvings. We were greeted by the lovely staff who provided us with our room keys and made sure we settled in comfortably.

Our suite went beyond our expectations, it had a large living room, dining room, king-sized bed and two bathrooms. As well as complimentary coffee making facilities, two flat-screen televisions and breathtaking views of the countryside – it was more than we could have asked for.

The resort consists of 11 different restaurants and we were lucky enough to dine at the Steak on Six. Upon arrival we were escorted to our candlelit table that overlooked the hotels grounds. The staff made sure we had everything we needed and even talked us through the different steak knives available. We both had the smoked salmon as a starter followed by a steak and delicious chocolate dessert.

After our lovely meal we went back to the room and had the best night's sleep we'd had in a long time.

The next morning, we had breakfast in the Olive Restaurant, it had an impressive selection of food including a full-Welsh breakfast, pastries and cereal.

We were then introduced to the lovely Jenny, one of the wedding coordinators at Celtic Manor. There are more than ten wedding spaces available for couples to tie the knot at including a marquee, clubhouse and hunting lodge. We looked around some of the rooms and were impressed by how much choice couples have and how each area can be tailored to suit different budges, sizes and themes. My personal favourite was the barbecue terrace, a beautiful space decorated with fairylights and rustic furniture.

After the tour, we had a light lunch at Merlin's Bar, it had a lovely atmosphere and served delicious tea.

I love being pampered so I was really excited about our afternoon at the spa. We began with the Forum Signature Couple's Massage, we were given complimentary robes and slippers and escorted to a candlelit room. Our masseuses were lovely and went out of their way to make sure we felt comfortable. The massage lasted for an hour and was so relaxing that I didn't want it to end.

Once the massage had finished we were taken to the relaxation area where we were given a goodie bag full of Elemis products and the candle used during our treatment.

After a glass of Prosecco I was lucky enough to enjoy a Luxury Geleration Manicure at the new Champagne and Beauty Bar. I sipped on a glass of bubbly and was given the difficult choice of choosing what colour nails I wanted. They had hundreds to choose from but in the end I opted for a mermaid blue, it was a great way to relax and the perfect end to our day at the spa.

Later that night we enjoyed dinner at the Newbridge on Usk restaurant, which is just a short drive away from the resort. Complimentary transport took us back and forth and once we arrived we were quickly escorted to our table that overlooked the rolling hills. The meal was delicious, I tried Guinea Fowl for the first time – I definitely recommend it, followed by a chocolate delice that was so good I wanted seconds.

After such a lovely stay we were sad to be checking out, we enjoyed breakfast once more before packing up the car and leaving. We loved our time at Celtic Manor and are planning our next visit very soon!